Lens cutting machine



April 18, 1933. J. R. POWELL 1,904,879

7 LENS CUTTING MACHINE I Filed Feb. 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 W Fig.5

Warm/1mm d I I W John. R. Pours Z6 JNVENTOR Fig.7 7

A TTORNE Y April 18, 1933. J. R. POWELL 1,904,879

LENS CUTTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1930 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR A TTORNEV Patented Apr. 18,

COMPANY, F'B OCH1i- STER,'NEW YORK, A GORPQBATIONQF NEW YORK a LENS 6mm mourns mummi e many v21, 1930. Serial Iva-430348;

" This invention relatesto" glass cutting inachines and more particularlyit has reference tov a machine which is adapted tocutspectacle and goggle lenses or other curved glass ar ticles l a It is well known-that in cutting glass the most efficientresults are obtained when thecutting edge or point of the cutter, such as adiamond, for example, is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the glass which is being out. It is therefore desirable and necessary to provide suitable means to maintain' the proper relationship between the cutter and the surface of the: glass when outting spectacle or goggle lenses which areof the meniscus or deeply curvedtype,

'One of the objects o'fthis' invention is to provide an efficient device for cutting spectacle and goggle lenses Another object is to provide means of the fcharacter described whereby the surface ofthe work to be operated upon'may be positioned substantially perpendicular to the cutting tool. Still'anL- other objectii's to provide an improved lens support for a lens cutting machine whereby portions of the surface of a curved lens may be positioned so that the cutting tool will be substantially perpendicular thereto. These and other objects and advantages reside 'in certain novel feature of constructionfar rangement and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more 'fully explained and pointedout in the appended claims.

Referringto the drawings;

Fig. lshows a front view ofa lens cutting machine embodying my invention]. Fig. 2-is aside elevation as seen fromthe left of FigQ'I. A 1 v r Fig. 3 is a side elevation asiseen fromthe ofF gi- 'f' I Y I Fig.4 is a sectional view "showing the normal position of thelens support and cutter.

Fig. '5' is asimilar view'showing the position of thesupport andlcutter inoperation. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of 'theplate which carries the lens support.

of a modifiedlens' support.

Fig. 8 showsatop planjview of game; 3

Fig. 7 shows a side view; partly in serztiony is shown jinthe" drawings wherein 10 indi- JOHN n rownnn, or ROCHESTERNEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 BAUscI'I'saIJoMB or'rroen cates a supporting table carryingthe support 11.. Rotatably mounted on table 10' is the through the connecting gears 151', shaft 15 an gears 16. The rotatablev plate 12 carrying the lenssupportl7, to be'herein'afte'r described, may be raised verticallyby means of'th'e piv otally mounted lever 18" to bring the" lens 19 into operating contact withthecuttingrtool plate 12 which is rotated 'by the crank 13 Ihecutting tool 20 is carried by? the bra ch et 21 whichis 'swingably mountedonthe'sup port 11'. A coil spring 22 a'ttached'tb bracket 21 tends to pull the-bracket to onejside so that the contact member23onthe "bracket 21 yieldably engages the periphery ofthe form plate 24:1 The form-'plate -24c is mounted,

.coaxially with the plate' 12," on the s't'ub'shaft 25 which may be rotated byone ofthegears 16 so that the'shape of theform-pl'ate 24 will determine the contour or oiltline ofthe lens which is cut, asjwillbe" apparent to one skilled 'in' theartf l *V";

L The lens "support 17, shown in-the drawings comprises a'spher'ical shell having an outer convex surface and aninner'coneave surface. 7 A lining 26"such 'a's sheet rubber, l

for example, may be attached to the inner surface so asto provide suitable non-slipping engagement with the lens l9'vvhich is supported thereon. "Secured to the "outer surfaceof support17 are a number ofs'paced, outwardly; projecting "pins 27 Fwhich, are adapted to enter, and cooperate with the cor''- 'respondinglyspacedopenings 28 in plate12 when the support 17 "rolls upon the surface ofplate 12 during operation I of the I machine. I I v a I g I t In operation, a lens19 isj'placed on the l lining26 on the inner surface. of support 17,

which normally rests on the plate 12, as shown in Figsflto 4;with'thecentr 1,pin 27" pro? j ecting freely into the central opening. 28' in plate 12. By means of. thepivoted lever 18' the plate 12 is raised vertically to bring the lens 19 into .contact'with cutting tool i20 which is held againstlvertical movenient.

Since the! support 17 T is free to movie in vertical planes, it the '19 v will ,be gradually tilted until they reach the position shown in Fig. 5 when the cutting tool will be substantially perpendicular to the portion of the lens surface which is directly beneath it. By means of crank 13 the table 12 and sponding openings 28 so that the supportl? is always in driving engagement with the plate 12.

v A modified form of lens support adapted to support cylindrical lenses is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Instead of being spherical the support is cylindrical as clearly shown in the figures. The cylindrical lens suppor 17 resting onthe rotatable plate 12, is pro vided witha series of spaced, outwardly projecting pins 27 which cooperate withthe openings 28 in the plate 12. It will be apparent that, in operation, the support 17 will tilt and roll upon the surface of plate 12 so as to keep the cutting tool substantially perpendicular to the surface of the lens which is being cut. The cylindrical support 17 will, of course, only be tilted or rocked in a single plane with respect to plate 12 whereas the spherical lens support 17 will be free to rock and tilt, with respect to plate 12, in a plurality of planes.

Spherical and cylindrical supports of various curvatures can obviously be pro vided to properly hold lenses of various curvatures. From the foregoing it will be apparent that I am able to attain the objects of my invention and provide an efficient lens cutting machine in which the lens operated upon is positioned so that the cutting tool is substantially perpendicular to the surface being cut. Various modifications can obviously be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

' I claim: I

1. A lens cutting machine comprising a cutting tool, a plate, a lens support on said plate, means for rotating saidplate and support, said support comprising a spherical shell having an inner concave surface adapted'to carry a'lens and an outer convex surface positioned to roll upon said plate, and means for moving said plate and support toward said tool. 7

2. In a lens cutting machine, the combination of a plate, a work support carried by said plate, said support having an outer convex surface which contacts with said plate and an inner concave surface adapted to carry a lens, said convex surface being adapted to roll upon said plate whereby various portions of a surface of a lens carried by said support may be brought into a substantially parallel atoms relationship with said plate during a cutting operation.

3. In a lens cutting machine, the combination of a vertically disposed cutting tool, a plate, a lens support carried by said plate, saidsupport having a curved surface in contact with and adapted to roll upon said plate,

said support having an inner curved surface ment between said'plate andsaid support and means for relatively .moving said tool and said support. 7

A lens cutting machine comprising a vertically disposed cutting tool, a plate having apertures therein, a lens support having a spherical base contacting with said plate, pins projecting outwardly from said base, said pins being adapted to cooperate with said apertures to provide a driving engagement between said plate and said support, means for driving said plate and means for relatively moving said tool and said support toward and from each other.

6. A lens cutting machine comprising a cutting tool, a rotatable member having a surface, a lens support having a surface, said surfaces being in contact, one of said surfaces being substantially fiat, the other surfaces being curved whereby. said surfaces are in rolling contact, means providing a driving 1 engagement between said member and said support and means for relatively moving said tool and said support to bring said tool and a lenscarried by. said support into operative relation. 2

7 A lens cutting. machine having in combination a cutting tool, a rotatable plate, a lens support having'a cylindrical inner surface for holding a lens and a cylindrical outer surface resting on and adaptedto roll upon 7 said plate whereby said support is movable in a vertical plane, means providing driving engagement between said plate and;said support and means for putting. said toolinto operative relation with a lens on said support.

8. In a lens cutting machine, the. combination of a plate, a cutting tool disposed in a plane which is perpendicular to said plate, a work support carried by said plate, means for relatively movingsaid tool and support'toward and from each other, said support having a curved base in contact with andpositioned to roll upon said plate,-said support having an inner curvedlsurface for supporting a lens .to be cut and means for rotating said plate and support. i

9. A lens cutting machine comprising a substantially flat p ate, a cutting tool, a lens support on said plate, said support having an inner concave surface for supporting a lens and an outer convex surface positioned on said plate and adapted to roll thereon, means for rotating saidplate and support and means for relatively moving said'supp'ort and tool toward and from each other.

10. A lenscuttin machine having in combination a tool, at plate, a work support mounted on said plate,said support having 1 an inner concave surface for holding a lens a to be cut and an outer convex surface resting on and adapted to roll upon said plate, means a f for relatively moving said support and tool toward and from each other for bringing'the tool into operative relationwitha lens on the support and means for relatively moving the tool and support toeflect a cutting operation.

11. A lens cutting machine comprising a cutting tool, a flat plate, a work' support, said support having an inner concave surface for carrying a lens and an outer convex surface contacting with and adapted to. roll upon said plate, said plate having apertures therein, said support having outwardly project ing pins adapted to cooperate with said apertures to provide a driving engagement between said plate and support, means for rotating said plate and support and. means for relatively moving said support and tool toward and from each other.

' JOHN R. POWELL. 

